Letters to the Editor

Monday, 18 June 2012

Barbara Harris to lecture in Fredericton and Taymouth on pubic health effects of shale gas

Imagine having your health destroyed without knowing what did it.

One day you're going about your routine, going to work, looking after the kids, and the next you're down in bed because you're so exhausted you feel you can't take another step. You have the shades pulled because that migraine in your head throbs worse with light in the room. A rash has developed on your chest, but you're so dizzy and uncoordinated you're afraid to get up to get something to put on it. Your spouse is now waiting on you hand and foot doing simple things you could do for yourself only a short time ago. You've got to take time off work, or worse still, you lose your job. As the days wear on you begin to get depressed. Nothing you do to treat the symptoms helps. You're not getting better. Doctors can't figure out what's wrong with you. The house is a mess. The laundry is piled up. The kids don't understand why you're not you're usual self.

No one knows you've just been ambushed by the effects of chemical exposure. It's in the air all around you, coming from something somewhere. But because it's invisible, has no scent and is in just about everything in our daily lives, you have no idea it's what's causing your illness. And it could last for years, if not a lifetime, if you don't figure out that it's chemical exposure you're dealing with. Even if you do figure it out and get better, there is no guarantee your health will ever be completely normal again, and little recourse to compensate you for what you've lost.

Barb Harris knows full well what it's like to have her health destroyed. About twenty years ago she got very sick from unknown chemical exposure. Although she figured out what made her sick and started avoiding it, she doesn't have her health back completely. So she began to study the impacts of everyday chemical exposures on human health. For over a decade now, Harris has focused on research and writing about the public health effects of environmental toxins.

Her work led her to become a core member of the Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia in 2000. EHANS is a community-based non-profit that educates the public on ways to identify and avoid environmental toxins, while helping them find healthy alternatives. EHANS also works with other groups to stave off public health threats so people aren't exposed.

When the shale gas fracking issue came to her neighborhood last year in River John after the north shore of Nova Scotia was leased for onshore oil and gas exploration, she went into overdrive to educate herself on the environmental effects of the industry on human health. The area was leased by the government shortly before it decided to review the industry and place further development on hold for the next two years.

The province is expected to use the review process to formulate
regulations on the shale gas industry in Nova Scotia. But the public is
frustrated it's being influenced by industry, and that the scope of the
process is too narrow; only taking into consideration the technical
aspects, not health or air effects.

Not waiting around, Harris co-authored a submission from EHANS to the province's review board to make it aware of the devastating effects chemical exposure from the industry can have on human health.

She also got involved with NOFRAC, a Nova Scotia anti-shale gas coalition, and began making public presentations on the health impacts of shale gas and fracking in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Tomorrow night at 7 pm in MacLaggan Hall's room 53 on the UNB campus and Wednesday night at 7 pm in the Taymouth Community Centre, Harris will talk about her research into the impacts of airborne chemicals from shale gas fracking on human health. Since not a lot of studies
have been done in Canada, her information is mainly from the United
States. In the two free lectures, Harris will talk about the ways people are exposed through air
pollution and the levels of exposure in some places. This publication had a chance to talk to Harris late last week and discuss the issue with her.

"In Nova Scotia, it began with the hype that shale gas would be a clean transition energy with great economic benefits. But counter analyses began to show the risks outweigh the benefits," said Harris.

Although the government answered public concern with it's review, Harris found there is a lack of focus on the health impacts of the shale gas industry. Something that often happens in industry studies.

"It's a huge piece of the puzzle that's usually left out," she said.

Harris said she's uneasy about what could could happen if people are exposed to chemical toxins in the air due to fracking. It's not wise to do the studies after the damage is done.

She also questions the concept of "best practices" regarding regulation of the industry. She wonders if they're good enough; if they balance with health concerns.

"The industry isn't contained in a building with a controlled environment. It's in open areas near homes, schools, agriculture and forests," she said. "That has to be take into consideration [when formulating regulations]."

As was discussed in the recent forum on shale gas in Moncton, Tom Murphy of Penn State's Marcellus Center said technologies are evolving in the industry at a rapid rate, making it hard to know what the long term environmental impacts will be. Harris agreed.

"We need to know the impacts of industry. It's [slickwater hydraulic fracturing] not like any other industry. They're doing things that have never been done before," she said.

Those who raise concerns about the shale gas industry are often labelled as "fearmongers" by government, industry and business in favor of it. But Harris said knowing what's contained in the chemical recipes used during the fracking of a shale gas well is only common sense, not fear.

"Fear is not helpful. I try not to work from a place of fear. We need to know the long term harm when new contaminates are created and used in huge quantities," she said.

Harris added, "If it's so safe, why is it so secretive? [Financial] settlements with fracking companies are sealed. If there is nothing to worry about, why can't we have all the information?"

She referenced the book, Merchants of Doubt, to explain her feelings on being labelled a fearmonger. She said the book explains how industry has perfected dealing with opposition to "manufacture doubt" in scientific fact.

"They change the discussion to people being emotional when that's not the issue. It's looking at the information," Harris said.

Although she is a lay person who's educated herself on the topic, Harris said with so much information and conflicting opinion out there, along with the new industry technologies, it only makes sense to put things on pause.

"There's a lot we don't know so maybe we should slow down. Medical communities are saying slow down. So a long term moratorium from a health point of view makes sense," she said.

Even with everything she knows about the dangers of the shale gas industry to human health, Harris remains hopeful it will be delayed in the Maritimes.

"It's not a done deal anywhere. In the places where it was banned, or a moratorium was put in place, it was always due to an informed opposition. Many things can tip the balance. I have hope."

Barbara Harris has published several articles on the health impacts of shale gas in the national cancer prevention publication, The Ounce. She is co-author if the Guide to Less Toxic Products and runs a website with the same name, www.lesstoxicguide.ca. As the EHANS representative on the Pesticide Free Nova Scotia Coalition, she helped gain a provincial ban on cosmetic pesticides used for lawn landscaping in 2011. She lives in River John, Nova Scotia.

These therapies are great for people who tend to overanalyze their situations and will be of great use to them. You got to get hold of the best professional therapist in town who can help you to fine tune and perfect your personality traits and bolster your confidence level to new high.You will also get the chance to participate in discussions along with your fellow students.My blog post ... palunaaf.bravejournal.com

A person experiences difficulty in speaking and feels confused or disoriented.

Headaches can perform greater than destroy your mood - they're able to obstruct your life. They're impressed by the number of fish they catch, so one says towards the other, "We'll have to come back here tomorrow.Also see my web page - Dureri De cap insuportabile

In fact, according to a 1994 report by the Agency For Health Care Policy and Research, 10%-40% of patients who undergo back surgery experience failed back surgery syndrome.Perhaps you picture your bulging disc being forced back to normal position using extreme force. Chiropractic care helps relieve low back pain safely and effectively.Take a look at my website ... hernie de disc

Specialized testing including specific diagnostic tests, orthopedic tests, neurological tests and advanced diagnostic procedures may also help to determine key factors including the patient.large slip disc or technically called PIVD = prolapse disc = prolapse intervertebral disc) then surely small simple surgical treatment is best treatment opinion. The exercises are designed to fight cervical spondylosis:.Here is my webpagespondiloza

The problems addressed by way of a psychotherapist in many cases are psychological or behavioral in nature. t desire to pay attention to many facts; you want to believe in your imagination.We are merely under-developed primates who just use a small fraction individuals brain on our behalf.Also visit my webpage : psihoterapie

It is targeted on how we sit, stand, bend, lift, and even the way we sleep.So, what can you do to alleviate back discomfort in sore muscles, and not so hot puma who's scalds your skin. This article, the top article ever, kindly given by Uber - Articles.Also see my page: tratament naturist dureri de spate

The hottest and initial approach is the questioning and observing the patient. They are providers of varied types of psychotherapy services, especially paartherapie Berlin.This is starting to become very alarming not just because the numbers have been soaring high but more to the point, those that are being impacted are excessively young than expected.My website - psihoterapie

Bipolar depression is often a mood disorder the place that the person.

An individual's self-esteem is extremely low during this time. These thoughts and feelings tell you there exists only a terrible best option and no other available choices exist.Also visit my homepage :: depresia

Take a deep breath and relax completely for approximately 30 seconds. Moreover, using this type of treatment, patients are able to avoid this and the unwanted side effects surgical treatments bring.People Leave The Relationships for Several Reasons.My web page : dureri de spate

He is a proponent of Protandim as well as a distributor for Life - Vantage corporation.

Their is definitely an investment of your energy and effort required.Because chiropractic is often a non-drug type of care, the practitioner will not prescribe analgesics to handle the experienced pain.Also visit my web page - hernie de disc

Someday, on some reality show someone will probably meet with something horrible fate and I only hope I’m around to create about it.If you are looking for beginning therapy you'll want to become an informed consumer. After a little while, the addict’s environment is pervaded with cues — reminders of the drug that cause the release of dopamine within the brain and predict a reward.My blog post ... psihoterapie

He is often a proponent of Protandim and a distributor for Life - Vantage corporation. If the issue causing the disc to bulge is not alleviated, it might result in a full disc herniation. Looking at the spine as it functions and holds weight comes into play more than the disc.Check out my web-site :: hernie de disc

s typically rushed, high stress world, having back pain or bad sciatica isn't an easy thing to cope with. When your is out of alignment it causes undo stress for the pelvic girdle, spine, mid-back, shoulders, and neck. Back pain associated with pregnancy can be a natural condition suffered by an incredible number of women.my page :: tratament pt dureri de spate

I used to bе suggeѕteԁ thіs websitе νiа mу cousin.I am noω not cеrtain ωhether or not this post is wгіtten via him as no onе else recognіse such particulaг apрroxіmately my problеm. You are аmazіng! Thаnk you!

Ι'm now not sure where you'гe getting yοur information, but great tορic.I must ѕpend a while finding out mοre оr unԁeгѕtаndіng morе. Thank you for mаgnifiсent іnfo I was searching for this information for my miѕsion.

Hеy there! Do you κnow if theу make аnу plugins to helρ with Sеarch Engіnе Οptimіzation? Ι'm trying to get my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I'm not seeing vеry good ѕuccess. If yοu knοω of аny ρlease ѕhare.

Ηave yοu ever thοught about including a little bit more than јust your articles? I mean, what yοu say is fundamental and еveгуthing. Neverthelеsѕ think оf if yоu аdded some gгeat picturеs οr viԁeo clіpѕ tο giѵe your posts morе, "pop"!Υour contеnt is excellеnt but with pics and ѵideos, thіs blog cοulԁ сertainly be оne of the very best in its fiеld. Grеat blog!

Hey! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and tell you I truly enjoy reading your blog posts.Can you suggest any other blogs/websites/forums that deal with the same topics?Many thanks!

Hi there! Someone in my Facebook group shared this site with us so I came to take a look. I'm definitely enjoying the information. I'm bookmarking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Excellent blog and excellent design and style.

Hello. I was thinking about adding a hyperlink back to your website since both of our websites are based mostly around the same niche. Would you prefer I link to you using your site address:http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=3652512767114243466&postID=5431012246911752027 or blog title: Blogger:The Purple Violet Press. Please let me know at your earliest convenience.Thanks

Although this is sometimes a temporary solution in itself for some, it will provide you with time for it to seek the best treatment for a longer term fix. When your is out of alignment it causes undo stress for the pelvic girdle, spine,mid-back, shoulders, and neck. Back pain linked to pregnancy can be a natural condition suffered by an incredible number of women.

Just desire to say your article is as amazing. The clarity in your post is simply nice and i can assume you're an expert on this subject. Fine with your permission let me to grab your RSS feed to keep up to date with forthcoming post. Thanks a million and please carry on the rewarding work.

Injured inter-vertebral disks have a tendency to bulge out and compress spinal nerves. So, what can you do to alleviate back discomfort in sore muscles, although not so hot puma who's scalds your skin. These therapies involve the usage of pressure, which can be moving, stationary, unstructured or structured.

Carl Rogers' client-centered therapy, by way of example, was based on the theory that individuals could increase their lives by expressing their authentic selves. It is the very act of skyrocketing and changing, as society grows and changes around us that creates interpretation possible. If this younger parts fails to deal with life, then these ways of coping also collapse, and also the next younger level of self attempts to cope using the world.

People are talking about adjustable beds once again - on the streets, in the shopping world, plus infomercials.In fact, oahu is the leading cause of absenteeism from work.When the thing is that a chiropractic doctor at Jacksonville Integrated Health, you should have several options for effective and safe care.

An ice pack put on the area can boost the benefits from the massage and assist you to deal with the intense pain. It consists of Ayurvedic ingredients enriched with purified Guggulu, purified Kuchila (Strychnos nux-vomica), Abhrak Bhasma, Soubhagya Bhasma, Malla Sindoor and Ras Sindoor. Violent massage with deep pressure is incredibly harmful to the spondylitis patient.

I'm new to building internet sites and I was wanting to know if having your website title relevant to your articles and other content really that vital? I see your title, "Blogger: The Purple Violet Press " does appear to be spot on with what your website is about but yet, I prefer to keep my title less content descriptive and based more around site branding. Would you think this is a good idea or bad idea? Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

It is perfect time to make some plans for the future and it's time to be happy. I have read this post and if I could I desire to suggest you few interesting things or suggestions. Maybe you could write next articles referring to this article. I want to read more things about it!

Greаt gooԁs from you, mаn.І've understand your stuff previous to and you are just too excellent. I actually like what you've acquireԁ herе, certainly like what you are stаting anԁ the wаy іn which you saу it.You mаke it enjoyаble and you ѕtill take care of to keep it sensible.ӏ cаn't wait to read far more from you. This is really a wonderful site.

I comment each time I especially enjoy a post on a website or I have something to valuable to contribute to the conversation. Usually it's caused by the fire displayed in the post I browsed. And after this article "Barbara Harris to lecture in Fredericton and Taymouth on pubic health effects of shale gas". I was actually moved enough to post a comment :) I do have a few questions for you if you don't mind.Is it just me or does it look like some of these comments come across as if they are written by brain dead folks?:-P And, if you are writing at additional online sites, I would like to follow anything fresh you have to post. Could you make a list the complete urls of all your communal sites like your twitter feed, Facebook page or linkedin profile?

I comment whenever I like a post on a website or I have something to valuable to contribute to the conversation.

It is triggered by the sincerness communicated in the post I browsed.And on this post "Barbara Harris to lecture in Fredericton and Taymouth on pubic health effects of shale gas".

I was actually moved enough to drop a thought :) I actually do have a few questions for you if you don't mind. Could it be only me or does it look like like a few of these comments look like left by brain dead people? :-P And, if you are posting at other online sites, I would like to follow everything new you have to post. Could you list the complete urls of your public sites like your Facebook page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile?

A motivating discussion is worth comment. There's no doubt that that you should publish more about this subject matter, it might not be a taboo matter but generally people don't speak about these subjects. To the next! Cheers!!

Greetings, There's no doubt that your website could possibly be having browser compatibility issues. When I look at your site in Safari, it looks fine however when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping issues. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Other than that, excellent blog!

Write more, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though you relied on the video to make your point. You clearly know what youre talking about, why throw away your intelligence on just posting videos to your weblog when you could be giving us something informative to read?

Most pocket video cameras shoot in standard definition and high-definition 720p while some are capable of 1080p.It shows video at a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels at 30 FPS.That's why the customer reviews are important since you can't trust the manufacturer to give you an unbiased assessment.However, when you must shoot video footage in a less than forgiving environment, a dedicated video camcorder is required.

We offer loans to Individuals, commercial and private organizations that want to start up or expand their businesses, at an interest rate of 3% and amount ranging from $5,000 up to of $10 Million. Our loan service is available for local and international borrower's. We are certified, trustworthy, reliable, efficient, fast and dynamic and co - operate. we give out long term loan from two to 30 years maximum. Contact us through email: zionloanfirm.ltd@aol.com